BRIEFLY

United Cable will join a home shopping venture.

United, the nation's eighth-largest cable television operator, agreed in principle to become an equity participant in Cable Value Network. CVN will attempt to market consumer products via cable-TV merchandising shows. United, which has been experimenting with its own cable shopping shows for the last year, owns or operates 42 cable-TV systems. Other participants in CVN include COMB, Tele-Communications and Warner Communications.